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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
4.1 stars
Another very good instalment in the series! The plotting, writing and pacing continues to be gripping, blending adroitly murder and personal storylines. This series has reached its cruise speed, and it can only get better going forward!
While the plot was once again very rich, I was a little bit disappointed by the ending because it was too easy and it left some unanswered to the main case. Namely,
Spoiler
(a) the reasons why Hero would find the connection with the marquess suspicious enough to warn Lovejoy (because we really don't if and why she might have deduced the marquess to be the traitor); and (b) a lack of wrap up of the case on the official side - What were the motive of the culprit for the murders according to Bow Street or the Archbishop? Will the treason angle be revealed? Will Jarvis et al know and take sanctions?I loved the development of the story on the personal side. It sets up the scene very nicely for the next book. I can't wait. There is one unanswered question that possibly, I hope, will be answered in future books: who tried to kill Sebastian early in the book using that gun? It might also be linked to who had been tailing Sebastian in Book 3 (re: the sugar warehouse), because that too was never clarified?
P.S. I think this is the first book in the series where its title was not explicitly referenced in the book's text.
Best yet
4.75 Stars
This was by far the best in the series, even though I have a ways to go. I love how tense the action and personalities collide. The future is wide open and I cannot wait to see where Hero, Sebastian, and their families go from here.
A lot of bombs (easily known to the reader) but the way all of it is revealed was written spectacularly.
4.75 Stars
This was by far the best in the series, even though I have a ways to go. I love how tense the action and personalities collide. The future is wide open and I cannot wait to see where Hero, Sebastian, and their families go from here.
A lot of bombs (easily known to the reader) but the way all of it is revealed was written spectacularly.
I read this because I wanted some light escapism. I've enjoyed other books by this author in the past, but I was glad to finish this one.
We have a bishop murdered in a crypt (crypts sound like about the most horrible places on earth) and a body 30 years dead found in the same crypt. Sebastian St. Cyr normally wouldn't involve himself in something so declasse, but his aunt asks him to, so he does her the favor.
I noticed that Sebastian's detective work mostly consists of going around asking people questions, finding bits of information, and then going back to the same people he talked to before and saying, "You never told me... (bit of information)". He does this over and over, and these people give more and more information to him, instead of just telling him to go away. There were lots and lots of conversations, lots and lots of misdirection.
There were also a couple of fights to liven things up. An old enemy of Sebastian's is back, and peripherally connected to the case. Sebastian kills several people throughout the book, more than the murderer in fact, but he does it all in self-defense so there are no problems with that.
A big theme of the book is the nature of kinship. There are many, many sons not acknowledged by their fathers or raised by men not their fathers. Sebastian's own life is complicated by the fact that he's pretty sure that he's gotten Hero Jarvis pregnant, but she refuses to admit to it and refuses any attempts by him to "do the honorable thing." This is the romance part of the book. I happen to like Hero- she's one of my favorite characters- but she seemed to find out a lot of information very quickly in her investigative efforts.
Unfortunately, by the end of the book, reading about Sebastian's coat of superfine with buckskin buff breeches and Hero's yellow muslin gown with ribboned trim did not do enough to put me into Regency-era England. The mystery was fine, but I generally read these sorts of books for atmosphere and for some reason I couldn't immerse myself in it this time. Kind of an average outing, although I'm willing to give the series another try.
We have a bishop murdered in a crypt (crypts sound like about the most horrible places on earth) and a body 30 years dead found in the same crypt. Sebastian St. Cyr normally wouldn't involve himself in something so declasse, but his aunt asks him to, so he does her the favor.
I noticed that Sebastian's detective work mostly consists of going around asking people questions, finding bits of information, and then going back to the same people he talked to before and saying, "You never told me... (bit of information)". He does this over and over, and these people give more and more information to him, instead of just telling him to go away. There were lots and lots of conversations, lots and lots of misdirection.
There were also a couple of fights to liven things up. An old enemy of Sebastian's is back, and peripherally connected to the case. Sebastian kills several people throughout the book, more than the murderer in fact, but he does it all in self-defense so there are no problems with that.
A big theme of the book is the nature of kinship. There are many, many sons not acknowledged by their fathers or raised by men not their fathers. Sebastian's own life is complicated by the fact that he's pretty sure that he's gotten Hero Jarvis pregnant, but she refuses to admit to it and refuses any attempts by him to "do the honorable thing." This is the romance part of the book. I happen to like Hero- she's one of my favorite characters- but she seemed to find out a lot of information very quickly in her investigative efforts.
Unfortunately, by the end of the book, reading about Sebastian's coat of superfine with buckskin buff breeches and Hero's yellow muslin gown with ribboned trim did not do enough to put me into Regency-era England. The mystery was fine, but I generally read these sorts of books for atmosphere and for some reason I couldn't immerse myself in it this time. Kind of an average outing, although I'm willing to give the series another try.
Another fantastic entry in this wonderful series of books!
So often in a book series there's usually a few weaker books amongst the gems. Not so with this series. Each book is a thoroughly entertaining read filled with action, mystery and suspense. None of them have felt like 'filler' to me.
This book is no exception.
Also, I will state right up front that I am a Hero fan--I prefer her way over Kat--and I loved seeing her placed more in the center of things. The ending of this book has me cautiously optimistic about the next installment, which I plan to jump into later tonight.
So often in a book series there's usually a few weaker books amongst the gems. Not so with this series. Each book is a thoroughly entertaining read filled with action, mystery and suspense. None of them have felt like 'filler' to me.
This book is no exception.
Also, I will state right up front that I am a Hero fan--I prefer her way over Kat--and I loved seeing her placed more in the center of things. The ending of this book has me cautiously optimistic about the next installment, which I plan to jump into later tonight.
In terms of Sebastian's story arc, there wasn't anything in the book I didn't already guess. I already figured he was illegitimate and I also expected Hero's story to develop as it did. So, nothing exciting there, except maybe Sebastian's reaction to it all. But the book did develop the supporting characters a little more. I'm starting to like Aunt Henrietta after all, and Tom remains one of my favorite characters in the series. What I liked the most about the book was the way C.S. Harris described all the settings in the book. The description of 1800's England was colorful and attention to detail was phenomenal.
The mystery surrounding this book was especially interesting. I would have thought that the church would turn away from women that were a child out of wedlock considering how they feel about it, but maybe it was Bishop Prescott's overly liberal and somewhat open-minded views of the world that made him help the women. I have to admit, C.S. Harris writes mysteries that I'm not able to solve on my own before the killer is revealed in the book. It's refreshing to read a mystery and wonder about the killer till the end rather than solving it in the middle yourself.
The mystery surrounding this book was especially interesting. I would have thought that the church would turn away from women that were a child out of wedlock considering how they feel about it, but maybe it was Bishop Prescott's overly liberal and somewhat open-minded views of the world that made him help the women. I have to admit, C.S. Harris writes mysteries that I'm not able to solve on my own before the killer is revealed in the book. It's refreshing to read a mystery and wonder about the killer till the end rather than solving it in the middle yourself.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I raced through this book - most enjoyable of all of them! Glad to start seeing some resolution among the characters, finally.
This mystery was more complex - and ranged from treason and the war with the colonies to children born out of wedlock. We also get to see more from Hero's point of view. She is always described by others as being pretty standoffish and not a very sympathetic character, yet from her own perspective and how she takes care of her mother, the reader gets to see another side of her in this story.
This book also has another reveal about Sebastian's parentage (poor guy), and now we can see that things with Kat were both more and less interesting than before. However, Harris has done a great job of shifting the romance from Kat to the possibility of a proper life with Hero - and that is super convenient because she also likes to solve a good mystery.
This book also has another reveal about Sebastian's parentage (poor guy), and now we can see that things with Kat were both more and less interesting than before. However, Harris has done a great job of shifting the romance from Kat to the possibility of a proper life with Hero - and that is super convenient because she also likes to solve a good mystery.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Excellent - one of my favorites in the series so far. Careful plotting, great twists and memorable characters. Harris is doling out the larger over-arching mysteries in slow fashion, but it works in context fairly well.